African bush elephants

The study aimed to determine African elephants' (Loxodonta africana) welfare inside Serengeti National Park and in the partially-protected adjoining areas of Grumeti Game Reserve and Ikoma Open Area, where human disturbance is greater.

By testing elephant dung, the research team found animals outside the national park had significantly higher levels of the stress hormone, gluccorticoid.

Also, more elephants lived inside the park, while no single males were seen outside, suggesting the elephants preferred residing in potentially safer areas.

"The reason is most probably that elephants try to avoid human-elephant interactions," said research team member Dr Eivin Roskaft from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.

Elephants never forget?

The elephants may have learned to associate humans and vehicles with the hunting activity that occurs outside Serengeti National Park.

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